The Island Paradise That Is a Secret Hub for Russian Sanctions Evasion
The route has carried hundreds of millions of dollars in dual-use microchips, aircraft parts and optical gear that can aid Russian military systems.
- On September 2, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Maldives has become a transit hub for restricted goods moving to Russia, including microchips and aircraft parts passing through Velana International Airport in Malé.
- Russian trade data compiled by Import Genius showed imports from the Maldives surged from less than $7 million in 2021 to more than $630 million in 2022, with Aeroflot accounting for 12% of outbound cargo in the first half of 2026.
- Local intermediaries facilitate transit by issuing new air waybills in Malé, often removing references to original suppliers; equipment sold by German company Kraemer Mining was shipped through Malé and later placed on an Aeroflot flight to Moscow.
- Managing Director Hussain Waheed told the WSJ the country does not support the war, while Freight Care denied knowing shipments could aid weapons production; authorities cite limited customs staffing and minimal inspections as key vulnerabilities.
- The Maldives is not the only jurisdiction linked to sanctions evasion; an investigation by Transparency International Russia found the country conducted at least $8 billion in trade through companies in British Overseas Territories, with more than 90% linked to the British Virgin Islands and Bermuda.
33 Articles
33 Articles
Western microchips, aircraft parts and other sanctioned goods are to be transported to Russia via the Maldives airport. The trade route grew to more than 630 million dollars in 2022.
From white beaches to microchips for missiles: how the Maldives have become the safe harbor for the goods sanctioned in Russia.
From microchips to spare parts for hunting, so dual civil and military goods arrive in Russia via Malé airport. The Wall Street Journal reveals this: suspicions about illegal traffic arise from the fact that Moscow's import from the archipelago into the Ocean...
The white sand beaches, turquoise waters and exclusive tourist resorts of this archipelago of South Asia attract millions of tourists every year. However,...
An investigation by The Wall Street Journal revealed that hundreds of millions of dollars in electronic components, aeronautics and other restricted goods pass through Male airport before arriving in Moscow
(New York = Yonhap News) Correspondent Kim Yeon-sook = The Wall Street Journal reports that the Maldives, a resort in the Indian Ocean, is being used as a logistics hub to evade Western sanctions against Russia...
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- 40% of the sources lean Right
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